Sergio Perez: Even Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc can't survive as Max Verstappen's teammate

Cadillac F1’s 2026 driver Sergio Perez recently came out and reflected on his time at Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen's teammate. The Mexican driver detailed how difficult it is being the Dutchman's teammate, suggesting even someone like Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc would fail to keep up with the four-time champion in the Red Bull.

Sergio Perez signed with Red Bull ahead of the 2021 season as Max Verstappen's teammate after the likes of Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly struggled in the second RB seat. While the Mexican did a respectable job in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, his performance fell off in 2023 and 2024.

While Max Verstappen was winning races in 2024, Perez struggled to make it into the Top 5. Despite signing a new contract extension in 2024, Checo was let go by Red Bull at the end of the season, with Liam Lawson replacing the Mexican.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

Lawson lasted only a couple of races before he was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen's teammate. Sergio Perez recently came out and spoke with Sky Sports F1, detailing how difficult the second Red Bull seat is, and how even the best drivers would struggle as the Dutchman's teammate at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

“It's a difficult place. Being next to Max is very difficult but being next to Max in Red Bull is something people don't understand. There's so many things I could tell you but simply it's a very difficult job for a driver,” said Perez

"There is no driver that can survive there. It doesn't matter if you bring Hamilton or [Charles] Leclerc, whoever you bring there, they're going to struggle massively,” added the Mexican driver

Yuki Tsunoda has also struggled in the second Red Bull seat since replacing Lawson. The rumors suggest that VCARB driver Isack Hadjar is in the running to become Verstappen's teammate for 2026.

Sergio Perez claims Max Verstappen is the deserving winner of the 2025 F1 championship

Max Verstappen was over 100 points behind Oscar Piastri after the Dutch GP. However, after the 2025 Mexican GP, the Dutchman has cut the lead to the championship leader down to just 36 points. Ahead of the Mexican GP, Sergio Perez was questioned about Verstappen's resurgence, to which he replied,

“I never expected that, you know? It was great to see. I mean, Max has been basically the action of the year. He's keeping everyone watching Formula 1.”

"Somehow, they managed to transform the season, and now with McLaren messing around I think he has a real chance of getting it done and I think he's a driver that deserves the most this championship because he's been driving phenomenally,” added Sergio Perez.

With four races to go, Verstappen needs to outscore Norris by 9 points on average every weekend to take the title.

About the author

Pranay Bhagi is a motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience in the industry. Having worked with respected platforms such as EssentiallySports and SportsRush, he has written nearly 2,000 articles covering the thrilling worlds of Formula 1 and NASCAR. Pranay’s knack for presenting unique angles and breaking down complex developments has established him as a reliable voice in the motorsports community.

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Edited by Pranay Bhagi